The Pros and Cons of the Witch Trend

The current Witchcraft trend, or what I refer to as #witchcraft is fine with me – mostly. I am one of those folks that don’t really care how a person came to the path, I’m more concerned with what they do once they get here. I’m also a realist, who’s been up to witchy shenanigans for a long time. And there are some pros and cons to this current wave of witchy interest from the mainstream.

PRO

Fresh blood. Seriously, in order for our traditions to not just survive, but thrive, we need new people. It’s easy to get stuck in old or outmoded systems, just because “we’ve always done it this way”. Fresh blood also means new eyes and a fresh perspective on how things flow. It’s always interesting to answer “why” questions from new people to the path.

CON

Since you can’t know whether someone has any legit experience or is just really good at taking a pretty pictures, it’s hard to know who is real and who is fake. Unfortunately, there are lots of fake teachers and false information online. Instagram Witches with lots of followers and the right aesthetic might be full of shit. Just because you read it on the internet doesn’t mean it’s the truth.

PRO

Growing numbers of people who identify as Witch or Pagan mean the possibility of more representation in the over-culture. When there is a larger voice of Witches and Pagans it is easier to dispel false myths, stories, and legends about Witches. This could mean someone not losing custody of their kids or being fired from a job for being Pagan. Representation is important.

CON

It’s a fad. I’ve lived through this fad already in the 1990s. There were so many young people at that time exploring Witchcraft and Paganism. A lot of my friends from high school were among them. But many of them were dabblers who fell away as they got older. For some of my old friends it was something fun they played around with and are surprised that I’ve stuck it out for over twenty-five years. Weeding out the dabblers from those who are religiously called can take years.

PRO

New traditions. Let’s face it, some of our traditions are dinosaurs of the past. Binary, exclusion, sexual predation, and unchecked cultural appropriation are all markers of the early days of modern Witchcraft and Paganism. These things don’t work anymore, because of that new traditions are being born. These traditions are creating new ways of practicing for the current culture.

CON

Anyone can do it, so every one thinks they can. This path isn’t for everyone. It shouldn’t be for everyone. That fact is actually what brings many people to this path. Just like a punk band that goes too mainstream and they get accused of selling out. People who have been at this for awhile may get more attention or recognition. This doesn’t mean they ‘sold out’.

PRO

It’s a lot easier to check out someone’s background. You don’t have to take any teacher, author, or Witch flavor of the month at face value. Knowing where someone studied, who they studied with, and how long they’ve been practicing is information that you should be able to find. If you can’t – run. Making up a fantastical tale of initiation is a lot harder to swallow now.

I still think that a rise in interest is good for us overall. The fad will die out, just like it did before. Hopefully, those of us that stick around through this recent craze will have learned a few things. I hope in the next few years when something else becomes the trend we will see our numbers holding strong. In any case magick will remain, no matter who is here.